Invaders #9: The War Inside My Head

Although on one level Invaders #9 is a lot of action and not much else, there’s a lot going on beneath the surface. In fact, it could be said that the action beats merely exist to counterbalance the real plot, which is the climax of the ongoing conflict between Namor and Machen. Machen, if you don’t recall, is the product of Charles Xavier’s psychic tampering years ago, a guilty memory from World War II given (psychic) flesh and utilized to calm Namor’s raging mind. Recently, Machen has been becoming gradually more powerful, and has been exerting influence over Namor’s actions – to such a degree that he’s been losing time, and doesn’t recall his own actions. This internal tension has been exacerbated by Namor’s recent use of the Serpent Crown, an all-powerful gewgaw that essentially allow its wearer to be like unto a god. It’s a great old-school MacGuffin from Steve Englehart’s classic ’70s Avengers. (Seriously, if you’ve never read any Englehart Avengers, drop everything and find some trades or floppies. You won’t be sorry.)

One of the hallmarks of writer Chip Zdarsky’s Invaders has been his great utilization of Marvel’s yesteryear. There’s a token inevitability to that, since the Invaders themselves are from World War II. But in addition to the Serpent Crown, Zdarsky has also brought Charles Xavier, Toro, and now Spitfire into the mix as well, creating a tangible sense of history to the story. In a lot of ways, Invaders IS Marvel writ large into one tidy package: the World War II ties, the Atomic Age mutancy of Xavier, the perilous ties to today. This is all very Marvel-specific, and in Zdarsky’s hands, it works flawlessly. Bolstered by continuously top-notch art by Carlos Magno and Butch Guise, this book is everything a Marvel fan could ask for.